Page 15 (1/2)
Chapter One
Alex Night’s entire body huh the crowded lounge and headed directly toward hi parted for the tiny wo it demanded respect and received it without question
A o, the popular band had held his co tuned out theof her high-heeled boots upon the vented steel floor Dressed in a black bio-suit that hid her rank, Representative Briana Michaels had forgone her custoth curls She’d made no overt atteht by her clothing and hair was renized by everyone but him
She looked harh, cute actually, if one failed to note the blaster strapped to her thigh A newer un, by the look of it Briana was a deadly beauty with a razor-sharp mind—a potent combination for a man like Alex
Proceeding with the s broke every protocol in the database But then Alex wasn’t known for following protocol, which hy he’d been chosen to handle such a delicate undercover assignin with Failure was not an option and the Special Task Force wanted an agent ould go the distance, using whatever means necessary Alex had been their first choice and when he learned Briana Michaels was the target, he’d leapt at the opportunity
Rolling a small, cylindrical data chip between his palm and the cool metal table, Alex kept his eye on his mission as she swayed toward hireen eyes The press loved to portray Briana as a woman whose passions were incited only by political debate, but Alex saw untapped sexual passion in her full red lips and arrogantly arched brow Just looking at her heated his blood and made his jaw ache
He closed his eyes and savored her smell—spicy but a bit tart Oh yes He’d been spot on, as usual Chief Donny swore athem on a vid unit, but Alex knew better A vae and not learn how to read women
“Taking a nap, Captain Night?”
Uht side of prim with a raspy inflection
He’d been in lust with the powerful politician from the moment he first saw her on the vid cohts and controversial medical research that could lead to reproductive capability in vaued him But the reality of her physical presence was farthan any monitor could portray He was attracted to her convictions and political fearlessness, but when such aded in a body like that…
Ah, hell He wanted her bad
“If you prefer,” she continued “I can hire another sler to perform the tasks I require”
Alex raised his lids slowly and lounged deeper into the bar booth His fingers curled around the data chip and then slipped it into the chained holder he wore around his neck “Ah, sweetness I’ to perform in any way you desire”
“I bet” Briana slipped into the booth across fro a deeper sensual awareness She flipped open a comm link and spun it around so he could see the split screen
“Duncan Chiles and Mitchell Sandoval,” he said, eyeing the relay From the looks of it, the otherfor Briana to make her appearance, just like he had been He schooled his face to remain impassive while inside he admired her initiative However, he couldn’t allow her to hire thelers But not the best, which is why you need me”
“Yes, I’d heard your skill waswitnessed one, I’m suitably impressed by the other”
He laughed She would be fun, in more ways than one
“One hundred thousand credits,” Alex said, getting straight to the point so they could go straight to his ship The bar was packed and the band played too loudly for a proper seduction It wouldn’t be easy to woo her into his bed He’d have to finesse her properly and that took tiet started
She arched a dark blonde eyebrow and his heart rate picked up “Fifty”
“You’re out of yourany checkpoints will force us to go through the Ligerian Ice Field, Federation space and the Council’s largest waste dump One hundred thousand is a steal”
“Seventy-five”
He straightened, relishing the barter She was gutsy for a human “One hundred”
“Eighty or I’ Sandoval”
“Ninety and you have a deal”
She laced her fingers on the tabletop “Eighty-five”
Alex laughed again “Eighty-five and a half”
“Done” Briana smiled and for the first time in many decades he momentarily lost the ability to think
Her seat as Interstellar Rep of the entire Delta Quadrant, the largest quadrant in Council territory, made any hint of softness a weakness she could ill afford and Alex understood that She rarely se she presented He would elicit the gaht to her homeworld and enjoy every moment of it
She slid the comm link over “Enter your info and I’ll pay you now”
Once he’d done as she asked, he held out his hand to seal the agreement, an ancient prac
tice he employed simply to touch her She hesitated and then slipped her hand into his Alex savored theof her heart and her quickened breathing He felt the steadiness of her grip and the dryness of her palms
The highly esteemed politician was aroused, but not surprised to be In fact, he suspected she liked the feeling Maybe she even liked him
Without releasing her, he asked, “Can I ask why you prefer to sneak into your own quadrant rather than take the more efficient and comfortable diplomatic route?”
“You can ask Doesn’t mean I’ll answer”
“I’d like to knohat I’ my neck for”
She pulled her hand away, her fingertips drifting across his palhts “Maybe I’ a break”
“While the House is in session?” he asked dubiously
Briana turned her head and said nothing
Alex dru her touch had left behind “I don’t like the media either, but it would take a hell of a lot more than a need for privacy to make me risk death”
“Ah yes,” she purred dryly, shooting hihty-five thousand credits”
“And a beautiful woman,” he added
“My PA warned h that did nothing to distract him from her blush “He should be here in a moment, once he sends Sandoval and Chiles on their way Then we can get out of here”
“Wait a ers”
She arched that brow again and his cock twitched with interest “I never travel anywhere without my assistant”
He scowled “I have a perfectly acceptable unit on the ship”
“Jaraued, as she snapped the coh pocket of her bio-suit
“I don’t care if—”
The sudden flare of blaster fire lit up their booth and left a gaping hole in the back of Briana’s seat Exactly where she’d been sitting just a split-second before